


Scalpels & Scales

by Deadlydollies13



Category: Original Work
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Architect Student, Architects, Brain Surgery, Class Differences, College, College AU, Doctor - Freeform, Doctor/Student, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Financial Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Height Differences, Helping out, I Don't Even Know, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Just two lonely people who find each other, Loneliness, Mature for Profanity, New York City, Non-Sexual Sugar Daddy, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Past Abortion, Past Domestic Violence, Rags to Riches, Romance, So Much Money, Students, Sugar Daddy, Surgeons, Surgery, Trust Issues, University, Wealth, poor college student
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-15 15:26:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14793068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deadlydollies13/pseuds/Deadlydollies13
Summary: Audrey "Drey" Holmes is an architecture student at Columbia University whose life has simply come crashing down in a matter of minutes and has no one to turn to. Sebastian Graham is a wealthy, successful neurosurgeon in New York City who was the one to come to the young girl's aid and help her pick up the pieces. The true question is, who needed who the most?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Have you ever gotten an idea stuck in your head that wouldn't leave you alone until you wrote it down, even though you have 3 other WIPs? Well, this is what this is. This isn't even the Historical Fiction I've been trying to work on for months! Yet, here it is. 
> 
> I have no idea what I'm doing with this yet. I don't know if it'll be a short story of a few chapters, or end up being a novel. But it is Original Fiction, so the only thing I wouldn't own in this would be any mentions of movies, tv shows, songs, books, etc. But the characters are mine. 
> 
> Anyway, I wanted to post the first chapter to see how you all liked it. 
> 
> Since this is my first Original Fiction, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you all to comment! Please! I accept all types of comments, whether they be reviews, words of encouragement, or critiques! 
> 
> I can't thank you all enough for the love I have received for The Potion Master's Grace, and I will not be abandoning that fic anytime soon, but I hope you enjoy this one as well. 
> 
> Thank you, Xoxo

Audrey Holmes sat at a small table in the corner of a crowded Starbucks on a rainy Friday, February afternoon in downtown Manhattan. The line practically went out the door as eager New Yorkers and tourists alike craved the warmth of an overly-sweet caffeine beverage. 

Though Audrey, or Drey, enjoyed Starbucks coffee as much as the next person, with five pumps of caramel syrup and extra whipped creme, she couldn’t spend what little money she had on something as unnecessary as a $5 coffee. She, instead, used the Starbucks for a place to do her homework since they offered free Wi-Fi. 

She was just about finished her paper for her history class when her computer, an eight-year-old, ten-pound, DELL laptop froze. “No, no,” she tried pressing buttons, clicking the mouse a million times, trying to refresh. Her screen burst into a thousand box pop-ups, and every time she would hit the X on one, a thousand more would show up, like a Hydra. “Fuck! No, C'mon!” she slammed the laptop shut, along with her head on the table.

Sebastian’s name had just been called, the barista placing his coffee on the pick-up counter when he saw what was going on in the corner of the Starbucks. A young girl had given up, her head buried in her crossed arms, and groaning. She looked like any college student; ripped jeans, a beanie covering her messy dirty blonde hair, fingerless gloves, an old, oversized hoodie, tattered boots. Everyone around her ignored her, never once even acknowledging her despair. Coffee in hand, Sebastian walked up to the girl, “Excuse me?”

It was the strange British accent that pulled Drey away from her panic of how the hell was she going to finish and submit her paper now that her laptop went kaput? She raised her head and quickly wiped away her pathetic tears before looking up at the man before her. He was very handsome with fantastic bone structure and blue-green eyes. He was smartly dressed, wearing a long, black overcoat and a scarf tucked neatly into the collar of the coat. “Are you all right?”

Drey scoffed, did she fucking look “all right?” She gestured to her shitty laptop, “It broke.” God, she sounded pathetic.

“May I have a look at it?” he asked.

“Hey, if you can fix this piece of shit, I’ll love you forever,” she tried to joke, but the panic still tightened her chest and made her want to scream. 

Sebastian took the seat on the other side of the small table and opened her laptop. He was met with pop-ups multiplying by the minute. He had seen something like this before and had managed to fix it, but when he clicked a few buttons, the laptop practically screamed before showing the dreaded blue screen. Sebastian disappointedly sighed before closing the laptop, “I’m so sorry. I saw this happen before on a friend’s computer and it worked before but-“

Drey held up a hand before resting her head in both of her hands, “It’s okay, man. You did what you could, and I appreciate it. _Fuck_ , I’ve gotta figure out how to get this paper done!”

“Was it all on this computer?”

“No, I do everything on Google Docs, so I can work on any computer, but now I need to find another computer,” she felt a small relief at the realization her work wasn’t lost forever, but it wouldn’t do much good if she couldn’t put the finishing touches on it and submit it. 

Sebastian nodded, “When is your paper due?”

“Tonight at 11:59 pm,” she groaned.

“Of course,” he stood up and Drey thought that he was leaving, abandoning the girl to fend for herself when he held out his hand. “Come along.”

Drey flinched at his extended arm, “Uh, where to?”

“The Apple Store. You’re a student, you can’t possibly survive without a laptop to work on.”

“Uh, yeah, that’d be _great_ and all, but I don’t have the money to just go buy a laptop!” _My god, was this guy insane?_

“I never said you would be paying for it,” he grinned.

“I don’t even _know_ you!” 

“Ah, you’re right,” he held out his hand again. “Sebastian Graham.”

Drey hesitantly shook it, “A-Audrey Holmes.” He was wearing leather gloves, _real_ leather, and Drey got a quick glance at his watch on his wrist, which probably cost more than her life at this point. 

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Holmes. Now, gather your things, and let’s go.” Before she could say anything, he walked outside into the rain and tried to hail down a cab. Drey quickly shoved her shit laptop into her book bag and followed him. “Taxi!” he yelled, but of course, no one stopped for him.

Drey stepped out into the street where the cars parked along the curb stuck out into traffic, and whistled loudly and stuck out her hand. Soon enough, a cab pulled up for them. Sebastian opened the door for Drey before walking over to the other side and getting into the backseat with Drey. “Apple Store, please,” he said to the driver, who just nodded and pulled back into traffic.

Drey’s mind was spinning, as she sat in the back of a cab with a total stranger and her bag on her lap. She looked at him, utterly confused, “Listen, I just wanna make one thing clear. While I greatly appreciate the offer of buying me a new laptop, which you totally don’t have to do, I-“ she closed the tiny panel sitting between them and the driver, “I’m not going to be your… _Sugar Baby_ , or whatever the hell it’s called, okay?” She spoke quickly, her hands shaking because she was so nervous. 

Sebastian burst out in laughter and Drey jumped in her seat. Maybe this guy actually was insane. “What on Earth made you think that?”

“I don’t know!” she said defensively, her face and neck turned a deep red shade.She felt stupid for even bringing it up. “A lot of girls at school do it, you know, for the money.”

“Where do you go to school?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Columbia.”

He looked surprised, “Really?”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sebastian learned quickly that the younger girl was quick to become defensive.

“Nothing, I’m just impressed. That’s an excellent school. What are you studying?”

“I’m studying Architecture. Why are you exactly doing this? Buying me a new laptop?”

He shrugged, “Why not?”

Drey narrowed her eyes, “Who exactly _are_ you, Sebastian Graham?”

“I’m a Neurosurgeon at NYPUH,” he pronounced it “nih-puh,” but Drey understood it as New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. It was a teaching hospital and she knew several people who worked there. “I studied at the University of Oxford and I’m twenty-seven years old.”

“Wow, impressive,” Drey smirked, he was only seven years older than her.

Inside her pocket, her phone was buzzing like crazy. She pulled out the very cracked, very old, iPhone 5 and not recognizing the number, let it go to Voicemail.

“You don’t answer calls?”

She shook her head, “Not unless I know the number. If it’s really important, they’ll leave a Voicemail, which they did.” She listened to the Voicemail and her mood plummeted, along with her stomach. 

“Everything okay?” Sebastian asked when he saw Drey’s face fall. 

“Just getting evicted from my apartment,” she snorted. “Really, should I be surprised? My whole life is going to shit.” She just wanted to cry but managed to keep it together. 

“You don’t live on campus?”

“Nope. I basically got a full-ride to Columbia and got a lot of scholarships along with it, but none of them include Housing or a Meal-Plan or anything like that. Why pay three-grand for food when I can use that money to buy books and supplies? So, I got a shitty little apartment off-campus.”

“What about your parents?” Sebastian asked apprehensively. 

She scoffed, “My parents decided that they were going to move to Sweden when I graduated high school. _Sweden_! They said, ‘Fuck you, see you never!’ and left! Thank god I don’t have to pay tuition, I’d never been able to do it! I’m a Full-Time student, which means I can pretty much only handle a Part-Time job. I work at the Barnes  & Noble on campus, which pays minimum wage. But, I get a great discount on bought books, I get my money back after I return rented books, and I get a discount on their merchandise as well, so basically, all of the clothes I own are gray, white, and Columbia Blue! I live paycheck to paycheck and I can barely take care of myself, but no one gives a shit as long as I pay my dues!” She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down from her rant. She looked over at Sebastian, who looked both sympathetic and concerned. “I’m _so_ sorry. I just really needed to get that out.”

“No, don’t apologize,” he gave a small smile. 

The taxi dropped them off in front of the Apple Store and Sebastian paid. They walked inside, and Drey thought they must truly be a sight to be seen. Sebastian was a good foot taller than Drey, not to mention that she looked like she lived in the gutters— which, in her defense, she _did_ — but he looked how he lived: comfortably and without want. Of course, Drey couldn’t blame anyone when a worker addressed Sebastian and not her. All Sebastian told the man was they were looking for a laptop, then handed him off to Drey. She explained to him what she needed, what she would be working with as an architecture student, and he led her in the right direction. 

Drey felt really guilty about accepting the damn thing; she hated asking other people for things, especially if she had no way of repaying them. But, Sebastian _was_ the one who offered, and though she kept telling him that he didn’t have to do this, that she didn’t deserve it, he kept insisting. 

The man helping her, James, set her up with a MacBook Pro, which would be compatible with her XP-Pen Drawing Tablet she used and AutoCAD. She had spent almost all of her money the previous year on both of those, plus a majority of her supplies. 

Her phone kept buzzing, finally, she took it out and saw the number that must’ve been her landlord’s, and swiped to ignore it, slicing her thumb from the broken screen.

“Dropped it?” James smirked.

“No, my ex-boyfriend threw it at my head, and then it fell onto the floor and shattered. So, yeah, I guess I ‘dropped it,’” she said it nonchalantly, though both Sebastian and James looked mortified.

“You need a new phone too then,” Sebastian said. It wasn’t so much a question but more, “I’m getting you a new phone whether you like it or not.”

“What? No way, absolutely _not_!” Drey tried to argue. 

Sebastian just shook his head, “What model?”

Drey opened her mouth to fight back, but Sebastian just raised a brow and crossed his arms. Minutes later, an iPhone X was on the table. Drey wanted to throw up, how was she ever going to repay this man? She’d have to save his life or something! 

“Anything else?” Sebastian teased her.

“Absolutely not!”

“Well, since you’re a student, you get a pair of Beats for free,” James chimed in.

Drey glared at Sebastian, while he just grinned back at her, “ _Only_ because they’re free,” she mumbled. She walked over and grabbed a pair of BeatsX, they were gold and had seen students at Columbia walk around with them around their necks, whether going to-and-from classes or out for a jog, and they were a luxury Drey would only dream about. Yet, here she was, with them in her hands. 

When James told Sebastian the total: the MacBook Pro with the added on Apps Bundle for Education, the iPhone X, and the BeatsX (though they were free), _plus_ AppleCare on everything, and a pack of screen protectors. Drey felt like the air had been kicked out of her lungs. Though Sebastian just handed over his card like it was a simple transaction, and it was the most glorious thing Drey had probably ever seen.

“Put the phone on my plan,” he looked at Drey, whose eyes were wide. “Is that okay?”

“I-I-“

“I’m just going to take that as a ‘yes,’” he smirked. 

James set everything up, then brought them to a table in the back where he let Drey open everything up. “The customer should be the one to take it out of the box, it’s the best part,” he said. Though in total shock, Drey was overcome with what she could only describe as glee and relief. James helped her set up her phone and also put the screen protector on. He said it was the best screen protector they had and even withstood a hammer. He helped her download and install everything she needed. 

Drey, now relaxed and smiling, kept turning to Sebastian and alternating between thanking him profusely and engaging him in nonsensical talk about her architecture projects and the cool things she’d designed. She was afraid she was boring him, that a neurosurgeon would care less about architectural design, but he smiled nevertheless while she spoke passionately about her studies. 

They boxed everything up and left the store, the rain had stopped, but it still being freezing out. 

“I _still_ can’t believe that just happened,” Drey said distantly. “Are you _sure_ this is real? I’m not on some prank show?”

Sebastian chuckled and shook his head, “I can assure you, it’s real.”

“Shit, man. How the _hell_ am I ever going to repay you?”

“I told you, you don’t have to.”

“No, but I _want_ to! I just don’t know how. One day I will, I promise.”

Sebastian thought for a moment, “Get your degree, and then design me a house.” He was partially joking, but Drey thought it was a brilliant idea.

“ _Yeah_! Yeah, I can totally do that!” she grinned. 

“Until then, anything you need, call me. My number is in your phone.”

“You don’t want me as a burden, trust me.”

“No one is ever anyone’s burden. Can I take you home at least?”

Drey really didn’t want Sebastian to see the shit hole she lived in. On the other hand, she really didn’t want to ride the subway to Queens alone with a bag full of expensive hardware either. Apprehensively, she agreed to let Sebastian accompany her back to her apartment. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a link to the apartment that inspired Sebastian's: https://www.elliman.com/new-york-city/one57-157-west-57-street-77-manhattan-uvievxs

The subway was crowded, not that Drey was surprised, but it meant that Sebastian stood very close to her while standing in the middle of the car. Sebastian stood behind her holding onto one of the straps on the ceiling of the car. Drey, not tall enough to do that, was forced to wrap her arm around one of the poles and stand in a rather interesting stance so that every time the subway came to a halt, she didn’t fall back. 

“Are you married?” Drey turned to Sebastian.

He shook his head, “No, I never had the time for a ‘serious’ relationship. I had a girlfriend that I wouldn’t even call a ‘girlfriend’ but a ‘lover’ who is also a colleague, so you can imagine how well _that_ turned out.”

“Sorry,” she said. “That really sucks.” The subway stopped and Drey struggled to keep her balance for a moment before exiting the car. Thankfully, her apartment building wasn’t too far away from the subway stop. It, of course, wasn’t the greatest neighborhood, and even though Sebastian was with her, Drey walked quickly and kept looking over her shoulder. “I’ve got to warn you, my apartment is _actually_ shit. I mean, it’s just _awful_.” She took out her keys and with one key, opened the door to the building. They climbed up two flights of stairs and took out another key to open up her apartment door, but it wouldn’t open. Down the hall, they could hear a couple fighting and loud banging. “That’s Mr. and Mrs. Richardson. He beats her.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened, “Has anyone called the police?”

“I have, _several_ times. But, they come, she tells them he apologized or that it was her fault, and then they leave,” Drey thrust her shoulder into the door and it finally gave and opened up. She took out her phone and called the police, “Yes, this is Audrey Holmes, calling about the Richardson's again. I know I call like, twice a week. Please, just come check it out. Thanks."

Her apartment was basically two rooms: one big room and a small bathroom off to the side. There was a twin size mattress in one corner, covered with several blankets. Next to it was a large suitcase filled with clothes. The kitchen, if it could even be called that, consisted of a small stove, a counter with a sink, and a mini-fridge/microwave combo, like they had in dorm rooms. Above the stove were scorch marks. “Oh, yeah. The _one_ time I turned on the stove, it burst into flames. Not like, I burnt whatever I was cooking, but immediately, just caught on fire. I use the microwave for everything now.” There were several packs of ramen stacked on top of the microwave. “But, the microwave isn’t that strong, so it takes forever. The fridge, while cool, doesn’t keep everything _as_ cool as it should be, so I can never keep milk in there.” 

While the apartment was dirty, on closer inspection, Sebastian saw that it was simply stained. The flat didn’t smell, if anything, it smelled like surface cleaner and bleach, so that was reassuring. The only objects in her apartment that looked like they were valued and well-taken care of were her architecture and drafting supplies that were neatly placed along one of the walls. With no other furniture inside the flat other than the mattress, Drey had to work on her floor. 

She pulled off her gloves and walked over to the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet. Nothing came out except air and a screeching sound. Finally, what resembled water barely poured out, but it was a sludgy brown color. Drey banged on the faucet a few times before cloudy water came out. Deciding it was good enough, she quickly washed her hands, dried them off on her pant legs, and rubbed hand sanitizer on them anyway. “I really can’t thank you enough for today. Like, _literally_ , I can’t thank you enough. It’d take me a _lifetime_ to tell you ‘thank you’ the amount of times you deserve. And I really appreciate you coming with me all the way here. It’s really scary being a girl, living alone here and all. I-“ she finally looked up at the taller man to see his horrified expression. “What? You okay? Did you see a ghost? I _swear_ this place is haunted,” she swiveled around, but saw nothing.

“You can’t _actually_ live here,” he said in disbelief.

“I mean, it’s not _too_ bad…”

“Are you _daft_? It should be _condemned_! Uninhabitable! Let me guess, you’re ill a lot?”

Drey nodded, “Yeah, but, that’s just-“

“Pack your things,” he cut her off.

“ _What_?”

“Pack your things. You’re coming to live with me,” he lifted a hand to stop her from arguing. “I have plenty of space, you’d have your own bedroom and bathroom, and I won’t bother you. At least until we can find you a suitable apartment, one that’s actually _meant_ for human inhabitation.”

Drey’s face was once again a deep red. She was embarrassed beyond belief, as well as frustrated at the man before her who _insisted_ on helping her when she had _nothing_ to offer. Yet, she couldn’t find it within her to refuse. She’d be evicted soon anyway, and she wanted nothing more to get out of this shithole. So, she begrudgingly packed up what little clothes she had in her suitcase, along with her few toiletries and flatiron. She carefully packed her drawings and drafting tools and tablet, as they were her most valued possessions.

She watched Sebastian call for a car, _he_ would _have his own personal driver,_ as she stuffed her books into her book bag and suitcase. She had to sell most of her leisure books, but still had a few of her absolute favorites. She took out her broken DELL laptop and walked over to the single window at the back of the apartment. 

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked as he came up behind her.

She opened the window and directly below was a large dumpster. The old laptop fell three stories before emitting a loud **BANG** in the mental dumpster and smashing into several pieces. Sebastian looked at her and saw she was grinning, “Did it feel good to do that?”

“Hell yeah.”

 

-

 

Sebastian did indeed have his own personal driver, whose name was George and was also British. He pulled the car up to One57, a ninety-story building made of reflective glass and metal. “You _live_ here?” Drey asked as they got out of the car.

“No, we just got out of the car to walk a mile,” Sebastian said sarcastically. He smirked when Drey’s jaw dropped and brought her palm to her chest. She looked at George with a shocked expression, “Do you _hear_ this, George? The _sass_?”

George chuckled, “I hear it, Miss Holmes.”

The lobby was pristine and like the exterior, very modern. George helped them with Drey’s bags to the elevator, then the elevator man, Charles, took over. 

“Good evening, Dr. Graham,” he greeted Sebastian with a big smile. “Ma’am,” he said to Drey with a nod. 

Sebastian lived on the seventy-seventh floor, and Drey watched through the glass elevator as they Rose high above New York City. The elevator finally dinged on floor 77 and Charles helped them bring Drey’s luggage inside, then left with a nod.

When Drey entered the foyer, she froze. The apartment took up the entire seventy-seventh floor, which meant it was huge. She had only seen apartments like these in movies and could’ve never imagined she’d find herself standing in one. Sebastian looked behind him when he realized she wasn’t following him.

“Audrey?” he asked, getting her attention. 

“Drey,” she answered. “You can call me Drey.” It was what everyone called her, pronounced “dree” but spelled “drey.”

“Drey,” he repeated.

She finally stepped out of the foyer and was able to take a look at the immense apartment. “This place is… _wow_.”

“Wow?”

“Yeah, _wow_ ,” she grinned. Everything was pristine and shiny. It was decorated in a modern style but looked comfy. There weren’t many sharp edges, but the flat was balanced out with rounded features, like the columns that were in the large room. 

“I’ll show you to your room and let you settle in. I’ve had Maria set everything up for you,” he began walking down the hall with her bags towards her new room.

“Who’s Maria?” she slung her supply bags over her shoulder along with her book bag and followed him.

“My housekeeper, you’ll meet her tomorrow probably, and she’ll make a huge deal over you. She’s very maternal,” he opened the door to the second largest guest bedroom. It opened to a small hall where on one side there was a closet and on the other side was the en-suite bathroom. The hall opened up to the bedroom, with windows as two of the four walls, a queen-sized bed in the middle of one of the walls with a nightstand on either side that faced an amazing view. There were a vanity and a dresser up against the other solid wall. Drey was speechless and she couldn’t believe it. The bedroom was maybe the size of her entire old apartment. For the first time in a long time, she felt at peace and like she could breathe. 

“I’ll leave you to get settled,” Sebastian smiled. “Call if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly, though he probably didn’t hear her as he shut the door. 

The first thing Drey did was pull her new electronics out and plug them in to charge. She logged on to her laptop and quickly finished her essay, edited it, then submitted it. She sighed, another thing to check off her long list of stresses. 

Her bathroom was twice— _maybe_ _thrice_ — the size of her old one, which was probably the size of her closet. Everything was made of marble, and she not only had a pretty big shower but a large, deep tub. Hanging up on the back of the bathroom door was a fluffy white robe, matching slippers on the floor, and a stack of plush towels on the vanity sink. 

Drey peeled off her clothes that maybe hadn’t been washed in weeks. She found little tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner and soaps already inside the shower like it was a hotel. 

She was in the shower for maybe thirty minutes, basking in the steaming hot water. It was so hot, it was stinging and her skin was turning red. After drying off and wrapping herself in the robe was the best feeling ever, and it was then that Drey learned how to twist her hair in a towel. 

She walked back out into the bedroom, steam from the bathroom drifting out. Taking a deep breath, she flopped down onto her bed and felt the sheets and many pillows mold around her. When her head hit the pillow, she heard the sound of paper crunching. She reached underneath and pulled up a folded note.

_“Miss Holmes,_

_So happy to hear you will be staying here for the time being. Dr. Graham doesn’t like to admit it, but he’s lonely here all by himself._

_I cannot wait to see you tomorrow!_

_-Maria”_

Drey snorted. Maria sounded really sweet and sounded like she cared a lot for Sebastian. But she couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of her and Sebastian ever being together. He was such a quiet man, yet carried himself dignifiedly and confidently. Yes, he was handsome, _extremely_ handsome, but then again, he would never see Drey as anything more than a charity case. 

-

 

Drey changed into pajamas, which was just sweatpants and a t-shirt with “Columbia” written on them. She walked out into the living room to find Sebastian still in his day clothes, a button down and slacks, doing what looked like research.

“So, should I call you ‘Dr. Graham?’ ‘Doc?’” 

He smirked, “Sebastian is just fine.”

“Can I call you ‘Seb?’”

“No,” he pushed his computer and papers off to the side and looked up at Drey. “Wow, do you happen to go to Columbia University?”

“Is that you trying to be _funny_? That’s _seriously_ the best you can do?”

“I’m afraid so. So sorry to disappoint,” he joked.

“Don’t worry, Doc, we’ll work on it.” Sebastian watched her look around the room, taking it all in, but not moving from her spot.

“Do you _always_ take hour-long showers?” he asked randomly.

Drey grinned, “No, but it was the first hot shower I’ve had in months, so _hell yeah_ I was gonna enjoy it!”

Sebastian’s heart sank, how had this girl managed to overcome everything despite living an absolutely shit life? He decided to change the subject when Drey looked like she was afraid she said something wrong, “Are you hungry?”

Drey’s demeanor perked up, her eyes twinkling, “Starving. Chinese?”

“Sounds perfect,” he walked into the kitchen and fetched a takeout menu. They ordered several things, Drey’s stomach growling at even the thought of something that wasn’t half-cooked ramen noodles. 

“Would you like a tour?” Sebastian asked after they ordered. 

“Sure,” Drey jumped up. 

They were standing in the middle of the largest room, which was split up into the living area and the dining room. The walls throughout the entire apartment were white with dark hardwood floors. Though completely modern, the apartment actually looked lived in and like a home, not just a showcase. Two couches and two chairs sat around a coffee table. There was a TV against the windowed wall. One of the solid walls was covered in bookshelves with hundreds of books. 

Next to the dining room was another dining area, which Sebastian called the “breakfast nook.” _“Nook,” my ass,_ Drey thought to herself. It was just a smaller version of the dining room, a little less formal, but still.It was a round dining table with four chairs, much less than the ten that sat around the dining table. Next to the breakfast table was another couch. There was an island in the kitchen with the sink and on either side were dishwashers. _Because for some reason, someone needed two dishwashers?_ What was even more ridiculous was the _three_ refrigerators and _two_ ovens and _four_ stovetops. It looked like Sebastian should have a full kitchen staff, but it was just him who lived there, and whenever Maria came to do whatever it is she did. 

There was a long hallway with three doors on the righthand side of the hall, one for each of the guest bedrooms. Drey’s room was the one at the very end of the hall. On the left was a door for the laundry room. Off of the long hallway was a wing that Sebastian termed the “Master Wing.” They didn’t go down the wing.

By then, Drey’s dirty blonde hair had begun to curl, coming down a little past her shoulders. On her forehead, though deliberately covered by her side bangs, was a scar. 

“How did you get that scar, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Hm?” she was caught off guard by the question. “Oh, _this_!” she brought her hand up to her scar, gingerly touching it, though it had been healed for years. “Remember I said my ex-boyfriend threw my phone at my head?”

Sebastian’s eyes widened, “He threw it _that_ hard?”

“Yeah, well, the corner got me. I had to get like, ten stitches or something. People called me ‘Harry Potter’ for months!”

“Were you two in a fight?” Drey looked down at the floor. “You don’t have to answer, I’m sorry.” 

“No, it’s okay. It happened a long time ago, it doesn’t really bother me anymore. Yeah, we were in a fight. I had uh… gotten pregnant. I went to him to ask him to help pay for an abortion, cause, you know, I wanted to try and keep it a secret from my parents, but he started freaking out and refused. First, he threw my phone at my head, then he threw a basketball at me. That hit my side and left a huge bruise. So, my mom took me to the hospital to get stitches, I broke up with Jake, and that’s when I had to come out and tell her that I was pregnant and I was getting an abortion. _She_ freaks out on _me_ , like, short of beating the shit out of me, and told me that when I went away to college, that was it.”

“I’m so sorry…”

Drey shrugged, “It’s whatever. You know, it’s weird that I trust you. Like, we just met, and yet I trust you. You could _murder_ me in my sleep!”

Sebastian chuckled, “I’m _not_ going to murder you.”

“But you could. You dig into people’s brains all day! You probably see so much crazy shit! You could murder me and make it look like an accident!”

“I…” he really didn’t know how to respond to that. 

“Because you know it’s true,” Drey smirked.

 

-

 

They spent the rest of the night eating Chinese food. Really, it was Drey who ate most of it; Sebastian just sat back with a smile on his face as he watched the younger girl ate what was probably the first full meal she’d eaten in a while. 

When Drey’s head hit her pillow that night, on a mattress that was in a bed frame and not on the floor, wrapped in sheets and blankets that weren’t old and stained, she breathed out a sigh of relief. She couldn’t _begin_ to explain how thankful she was for what Sebastian had done for her. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Maybe then she could completely focus on her studies and not have to worry about whether she would eat that night or get hypothermia. 

She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, quickly and peacefully, and without any nightmares. 

 

-

 

Quite the opposite was occurring in the Master bedroom, where Sebastian was staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. He didn’t regret bringing in and helping Audrey. He lived to help people, save their lives. It was just strange that a woman was living down the hall. He hadn’t lived with a woman since he was in an actual relationship with Amy, and he dreaded when he would have to face her at work if and when she found out. Things were already awkward between them, with their on-again/off-again relationship and hooking up. Deep down, he knew he was going to fuck this all up someway, somehow. 

**Author's Note:**

> Again, please be sure to leave a comment! Any comment!


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